We are about to have 5G networks in reality, and Samsung will start the game with the new Exynos 5100 modem. The company claims that this is the first 5G modem for mobile devices that is fully compatible with the 3GPP Release 15 specification, which regulates the 5G New Radio (5G NR) standard.
In fact, Exynos Modem 5100 is not the first 5G modem. This record is set by Qualcomm X50, which was announced last month. But according to Samsung’s statement, their modem will meet the 3GPP requirements better.
The new Exynos Modem 5100 is based on a 10 nm process technology and supports both 6 GHz and mmWave (26 GHz) electromagnetic spectra used by the 5G 3GPP standard. It is also compatible with outdated networks such as 2G GSM/CDMA, 3G WCDMA, TD-SCDMA, HSPA and 4G LTE due to a single chip. Samsung claims that the 5100 model can reach the speed of up to 2 Gbit/s in the frequency range of the 6 GHz spectrum and up to 6 Gb/s using mmWave signals, which is significantly higher compared to the current 4G. This modem also uses frequency aggregation and the 4×4 MIMO technology.
Samsung has already tested the modem on its prototypical 5G smartphones and new standard stations. The modem delivery will have started by the end of this year. Now we just need a smartphone and a network to be used with the Exynos 5100 modem. The first launches of 5G networks are planned for next year.
